Kakeru Aizawa is an energetic and dedicated eighth grader who serves as the manager for his school’s [[UsefulNotes/FootyRules football]] team. Though he was well known for being a talented player the previous year, an [[MysteriousPast accident]] during one of his games caused Kakeru to vow never to play competitively again. Still passionate about the sport, Kakeru dreams of one day becoming a professional football trainer so that he can work alongside his older brother Suguru, the ace of the school team who has represented Japan in international competition.

However, [[AloofBigBrother Suguru does not approve]] of his younger brother’s goal, calling Kakeru a coward for letting his fears hold him back. Further complicating matters is the return of a young woman and former childhood teammate named Nana Mishima, a.k.a. “Seven”, who Kakeru had a crush on years ago. Shortly thereafter, a challenge issued by a mysterious masked individual reminds Kakeru just how much he misses competing against others in the sport he loves.

''Area no Kishi'' (lit. "Knight of the Area", i.e. of the penalty box) is a sports {{manga}} written by Igano Hiroaki and drawn by Tsukiyama Kaya. Initially released in 2006, the series is published in the ''Weekly {{Shonen}} Magazine''. An anime adaptation starting airing in the [[Winter2012Anime winter 2012 anime season]].----!!Tropes used in ''Area no Kishi'':

* AchillesHeel: Though Kakeru seems to be quite skilled and displays amazing instincts while playing football, he is at at an obvious disadvantage when he tries to use his left leg.* AdultFear: [[spoiler:Imagine that your two sons are going together to soccer practice, not doing anything particularly reckless...When a truck driver falls asleep at the wheel, goes off the road, and boom, suddenly one of them is dead and the other is in critical condition.]]* AmusingInjuries: Kota gets a few of them.* BattleAura: Suguru displays the invisible type of battle aura, as shown in one practice exchange with a teammate in which Suguru rendered him unable to move with just a look.--> "What a terrifying aura! This is the power of Japan's U-15 Ace!"* {{Bishonen}}: ** Leonardo. ** Araki, when he bothers to slim down. ** Suguru and Yuusuke probably also count.** Asuka, full stop.* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler: Iwaki]], you sly devil...* ChildhoodFriends: Suguru, Kakeru, Nana, and Hibino.* CliffHanger: The anime ends just as [[spoiler:Enoshima is about to face Yoin in the semifinals.]]* TheComicallySerious: Oda.* CompressedAdaptation: The anime comes off as an abridged version of the manga. Most lines/scenes that aren't strictly necessary to the plot are cut. This is most apparent in the beginning arc, where nearly the entirety of the events of volume 3 are cut in order to rush to the main plot.* CuteSportsClubManager: Nana. However, [[HiddenDepths she's much more than just a pretty face...]]* DeadStarWalking: [[spoiler:[[Creator/JunFukuyama Suguru.]] Bonus points for actually being a soccer star.]]* DownToTheLastPlay: Suguru is known for these, even scoring a "magical" last minute shot to draw the game between the Japanese and Brazilian youth teams ''in the first chapter''.* EmbarrassingNickname: Kakeru was saddled with the title of "Mr. No Goal", due to his inability to effectively kick with his left leg making him predictable for the opposing team's goalie. At least this beats the one for Nakatsuka Kouta, a.k.a. "Mr. Sexual Harassment."* FestivalEpisode: Part of episode 21 takes place at a festival with Nana and Mai providing some KimonoFanservice.* GenkiGuy: Kakeru, who uses his love of football into working tirelessly first as manager for his high school football team, and later in the series to overcome obstacles in becoming a player himself.* GratuitousEnglish: The ''Americans'' in episode 9 [[RealityEnsues cannot speak English properly]]* HandsomeLech: Nakatsuka Kouta, an 8th grader on Kakeru's team who seems to spend more time chasing tail (and failing to catch it) than actually playing.* HiddenDepths: [[spoiler: Nana isn't just the childhood friend love interest. She's also a genius soccer player known as the "Little Witch" who played professionally for an American team while she was in the U.S. She's one of the best players in the series; possibly the best among the main characters.]]* InstantFanClub: Suguru is nearly always hounded by throngs of squealing fan-girls whenever he's at school.* {{Jerkass}}: Nishijima Shigeo is the bully of the team, never letting any of the other 8th graders live down their mistakes.* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Suguru.]]* LoveTriangle: Just as Kakeru began to realize his feelings for Seven when they were kids, he found her confessing to his older brother.* MysteriousProtector: After being chewed out by Suguru for holding himself back by remaining the team manager, Kakeru encounters a mysterious masked football player in a nearby park, who challenges him to a one on one night game. Though Kakeru was unsure of the player's identity after leaving, the challenge helped to re-awaken his love for playing the sport. [[spoiler: In episode 4 "Grey" is revealed to be Seven, acting as Kakeru's training partner on Suguru's instructions.]]* OneOfTheBoys: Seven was the [[{{Tomboy}} only girl]] that played on Kakeru's football team in elementary school, and often dressed and acted like the other boys. Her appearance is [[SheIsAllGrownUp noticeably more feminine]] when she returns in high school, however.* PosthumousCharacter: [[spoiler: Suguru. He dies very early in the series, but is continually developed throughout it through flashbacks and his diary.]]* RefusalOfTheCall: When an injury leaves the team a player short, Suguru uses his authority as Captain to order Kakeru to fill in for practice, which Kakeru initially refuses until he's given the ultimatum "play, or quit the team."* RightBehindMe: This happens to Nishijima while bragging about a goal he scored on one of the team's top defenders in a practice match (after Kakeru spent most of the match wearing him down.)--> '''Nishijima''': "Suguru-san! Didn't I score a nice one today? The only forward on the team who can dodge Kunimitsu-san and score easily is me!--> '''Kunimitsu''' (while cracking his knuckles): "Dodge me easily, huh?"--> '''Nishijima''': "[[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Oooo owwow! Ouch!!]]"* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Suguru was killed within the first few chapters and episodes, and he was one of the best soccer players in Japan, and is also Kakeru's brother. More significantly, he also was dealing with problems himself and was trying to convince his brother to get back on the team.]]* SecondYearProtagonist: Kakeru.* SevenIsNana: Mishima Nana, a.k.a "Seven", was referred to by her elementary school football jersey number, which just so happened to be "7".* SoundtrackDissonance: The ridiculously peppy, upbeat music played during the PreviouslyOn section sounds really out of place when it features the main character describing [[spoiler: his older brother's death, and having said brother's heart transplanted into him]].* SpoilerOpening: A relatively minor example [[spoiler: Seven is shown wearing the Enoshima Highschool team jersey before they're even introduced in the OnTheNext at the end of episode 4]]* TheStoic: Though he is adored by his schoolmates and lauded as an up and coming Japanese national treasure, Aizawa Suguru most often seems to casually ignore all the attention he gets. Hilariously [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/area_no_kishi/v01/c001/7.html here]].* {{Tanuki}}: Araki gets compared to one due to being overweight in episode 9* TemporaryBulkChange: Araki ''lives'' this trope. His weight seems to fluctuate [[RuleOfDrama as the plot demands]].* UnmovingPlaid: The skirts for the girls' school uniform suffers from this. It's especially noticeable when the focus is on Seven.* UnsoundEffect: When Kouta gets especially irritated with Nishijima, a "Glare" sound effect is displayed in the panel.* WildCard: Araki.* WingdingEyes: Sported by Kakeru after Kouta puts him through several wrestling holds trying to find out more about Kakeru's childhood friend, Seven.----